Offer global visibility and an exceptional experience for athletes and cities
The World Games is a multi-discipline event for activities and events not included in the Olympic Games. The inaugural edition of The World Games took place in 1981 in the USA. The World Games serve as the global platform that highlights our diverse communities, including the finest athletes worldwide, the host city, and our partners and sponsors, at the core of international sports.
As the primary occasion on the competition calendar and a prominent stage for elite athletes to compete, The World Games provide global visibility for both the sports involved and the athletes competing.
Not every sport is necessarily included in each edition. The existing facilities and venues in and around the host city play a crucial role in determining which sports make it to the Official Sports Programme.
Overall, The World Games encompass the participation of 5,000 athletes and officials, with 4,000 selected by our International Member Federations. Regarding gender representation, the IWGA has achieved a balanced gender distribution within the sports programme.
Protecting diversity in sports is essential to the global culture of the 21st century. Just envision a world devoid of sports like inline skating, karate, rugby, or squash! Unimaginable, wouldn’t you agree? And rightly so: a combined total of 1.2 billion individuals worldwide engage in these sports regularly.
The following statistics from The World Games 2017 emphasize our dedication:
- 1,200 authorized media from every continent
- 1,900 hours of broadcast content
- 94 million views
- 41 million hours of television viewed
- 5 billion impressions created
Engage and motivate communities through the advancement of sports values
Since 1981, The World Games have offered a distinctive environment for thousands of athletes from various sports and nations to come together in a celebration of unity and friendship across all borders. Competitions at the highest levels in a wide range of engaging, popular, and exciting sports form the fundamental aspect of The World Games, the central event for all these athletes – characterized by sporting achievements and camaraderie.
As the IWGA, we exert maximum efforts in engaging and inspiring communities by promoting our values of Sustainability, Excellence, and Inclusivity. The World Games encourage athletes to pursue excellence and strive to be the best they can be, inspiring our youth. However, the Games also serve as a powerful instrument for fostering cooperation and understanding among communities.